Air Canada cranks up Melbourne schedule

Fourth weekly year-round service coming next June

Air Canada is showing clear signs of confidence in its third Australian route, revealing plans to again ratchet up services on the Vancouver–Melbourne city pairing from mid-June 2019, but this time permanently.

The Canadian carrier launched the Melbourne route in June this year, initially on a thrice-weekly basis. Those flights are being supplemented by a fourth weekly service, operating over the summer between 19 November 2018 and 9 March 2019.

Late last week, Air Canada’s head office announced capacity increase across a number of global routes, including the Melbourne service which will push up to four times weekly year-round, effective 3 June 2019. The frequency boost comes 12 months after the debut of flights to the Victorian capital.

Elsewhere, Air Canada is ramping up frequencies to daily on a year-round basis between Vancouver and Delhi, effective 2 June 2019, while seasonal summer flights to Zurich will be increased to five flights per week. The Maple Leaf carrier’s Vancouver-Osaka (Kansai) route will also move to five times weekly from June through October next year.

All flights will be operated with Air Canada’s flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

“We are pleased to increase our capacity to these important markets as we continue to strategically broaden our international network from our Vancouver hub,” said Mark Galardo, Vice President, Network Planning at Air Canada.

“Customers have responded positively to our increasing service to Delhi and this flight will now operate daily on a year-round basis to meet demand. The addition of a fourth weekly flight to Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, year-round will provide further convenience to business and leisure travellers between North America and Australia, offering seamless connections thanks to the in-transit preclearance facilities at YVR.

“With Dreamliner service to Osaka and increased frequencies to Zurich, we are further strengthening our convenient network to European and Asian markets from YVR, reflecting demand between Canada and these destinations in the busy summer travel season,” Galardo added.